Eric Mangini hoping to reconcile with Bill Belichick after Spygate

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Spygate ruined the relationship between Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini. But Mangini is still holding out hope the two men will settle their differences and rebuild their relationship.

"Am I surprised? I hope it's something that can come back," Mangini told ESPN on Saturday. "Look, Bill is a big part of my life. Bill gave me a tremendous opportunity, and I enjoyed that experience, and I respect him. It's disappointing, the way it's been. Hopefully, it can change at some point."

The strain on their relationship began when Mangini took the head coaching job with the Jets. But the two men haven't spoken since 2007 when the Spygate scandal began. When Mangini's Jets met Belichick's Patriots, Mangini told security to look for the Patriots' video cameras on the sideline. He also alerted the NFL. The league eventually fined and docked a pick from Belichick and the Patriots.

"It was never supposed to go the way that it went," he said. "It was more about, 'Hey, don't do this here.' It wasn't about reporting it. Sometimes things get out of hand and get rolling in one direction. It was never, ever supposed to go that way."

Mangini got his start in coaching with the Browns when Belichick was the head coach. They also coached together on the Jets and Patriots. But the game-taping scandal has torn the two men apart.

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